Vermillion University: Lucy
by thunder-crashed
Summary: College AU, School AU, Lucy comes to a new university: Vermillion University. She knows only two people: her boyfriend, and he roommate. But trouble will soon hit her relationships, and who will come in to comfort her? Follow Lucy through her ups and downs of freshman year in Vermillion University!
1. Chapter 1

**Hiii. Highschool AU. Enjoy.**

It was a beautiful fall day. Red leaves were swept up by light breeze, only to be tossed back onto the ground.

Lucy smiled at the buildings ahead of her. What a perfect day to start college.

She nodded at her driver, and he pulled away in the car. 'Magnolia Dorm, Room 34B, Floor 2,' she recited under her breath. The dorm was a large building with windows for every room. It was a co-ed dorm, but Lucy didn't think her roommate was a guy. 'That would be weird,' she thought nervously.

Eager to meet her new roommate, she headed to the building.  
>Inside, students were bustling about. Some were crying, hugging, or laughing. Some were just dragging luggage up the stairs. Lucy only knew one person, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead of worrying about it, she picked up her two suitcases and tucked her blanket roll under her arm, and she started up the stairs.<p>

Once she was in the hallway, she started following the doors (30, 32, 34!) and opened the forest green door with the golden numbers. The room inside had a very flowery scent. It had two beds, two desks, two small closets, and one window. Lucy stepped inside and noticed that there was another girl in the room. She had long red hair and a dominant aura. She barely even looked at Lucy and kept unpacking her clothes. Lucy walked to the untaken bed and dropped her things on it.

"Um, hello," she smiled at the girl, in an attempt to be friendly.

"Hello," the girl said while hanging a dress up in her closet.

Lucy then noticed the piece of paper stuck on the door. She saw her name, and an unfamiliar name on top. 'Erza Scarlet,' she read. That must be her roommate.

"Erza?" Lucy got her attention. Erza nodded. "I'm Lucy."

"I'm Erza Scarlet," Erza repeated.

"Erza," Lucy liked her name. It was different. "So which year are you?"

"Sophomore. And you're a freshman," she said more like a statement instead of a question. She still had barely looked at Lucy.

"Yes. Is it that obvious?" Lucy smiled. 'This girl may be too serious', Lucy thought, 'but she's my roommate. We should be friends.'

Erza did a quick, small half-smile without looking. "All freshmen are like that."

This kind of ended the conversation. Lucy used the silence to unpack some of her clothes, and hang them on the neon hangers she brought with her. But since unpacking is so boring, Lucy decided to get back to interrogating Erza.

"So what classes are you taking?" she asked, destroying the silence.

"I'm taking a class where I learn about medicine. But," she added nervously, "I'm taking a fashion class, too."

"Ooh, fashion," Lucy smiled coyly. "You can help me if I have a date, right?"

"Yes," Erza looked up a little. "And you? What's your major?"

"I plan to major in English Lit. I really like writing, so I'm taking a writing class, too."

"English Lit.?" Erza repeated. "Wow."

Lucy noticed a reddish tint taking Erza's cheeks. She probably wasn't used to rooming with a stranger.  
>"Did you room here last year, too?" she asked.<p>

"No, I lived with my family," Erza looked up, and actually looked at Lucy. It was like her eyes we penetrating her, trying to read all her thoughts. Now Lucy found herself being the nervous one.

'_Family_. That's why she's so nervous,' Lucy noted. Then she said out loud, meeting Erza's eyes, "So why are you in a dorm_ now_?"

"My…family moved away."

"Oh."

"You?"

"Um…" Lucy pressed her lips together before talking. She hated discussing her family. Be she could tell the Erza was the same. "Well, my dad is kind of a workaholic, so he would hardly notice that I'm gone anyway. And it's just me and him. And the staff, of course."

She watched as Erza slowly nodded and go back to her unpacking. Lucy decided to do the same.

"What about you?" the blonde asked. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"Well, it was kind of a foster family, so…yeah. I'm on my own now."

"Oh," Lucy whispered, not knowing what to say. They unpacked for a little until Erza was finished. Lucy fell onto her bed and bounced a little. Erza copied her, without the bounce.

"Do you have any friends yet?" Erza asked.

"Two," Lucy kicked her feet. This matress was slightly firm, but comfortable.

"Who?"

"My boyfriend," Lucy and bounced once. "And you." She bounced again. She wasn't sure if Erza even wanted to be her friends, but they were stuck living together for another year, so…might as well.

"I'm sure you have a lot of friends," Lucy said.

"Well, I _am_ president of the kendo club," Erza brushed it off like it was nothing.

Lucy propped herself onto her elbow so she could face Erza. "Really? That's awesome!"

Erza shrugged.

"I have the best roommate ever! You can give me fashion advice _and_ protect me from intruders!" Lucy grinned.

Erza laughed softly. "It's really nothing."

With that laugh, Lucy realized that Erza was finally opening up.

"It's totally something! So are you really popular? Are you like one of those roommates who are never around, or always around, or in between? You must have such a busy social life. Oh, do you have a boyfriend?"

A deep blush filled Erza's face. Just like her hair, Lucy thought and smiled inwardly. "I have… a date tonight. H-he's not really my boyfriend."

"Oh, I get it. Me and my 'boyfriend' are the same. We're not really 'boyfriend and girlfriend,' but we go on dates and hang out and stuff," Lucy said, sitting up.

"Same here," Erza said. "We've been 'dating' for two years-"

Suddenly their door burst open, revealing a young man with thick black hair that came up in spikes. To Lucy's horror, he wasn't wearing a shirt or pants.

"Hey, Erza! You're right across the hall!"

"Clothes, Gray," Erza said without looking or getting up. "And be a gentleman and knock next time!"

"Sorry, sorry. Must've left 'em in my room." Then Gray noticed Lucy. "Oh, hey. I'm Gray."

"I'm Lucy." Lucy fought very hard to keep her eyes on his face instead of _anywhere else_.

Gray nodded, and then went back to Erza. "We're having lunch at Mira's. You coming?"

"Yes. Just let me get ready," Erza got up. "Oh, and are you driving?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll meet you in your room in a minute."

"Kay," and Gray was out of the room. Erza sighed and shut the door, away from all the new student hassle.

"Was that your 'boyfriend?' Lucy asked.

Erza showed the most emotion she had shown in the entire exchange. Her cheeks became red again, and she suddenly looked very angry. "Ew! No! Gray? NO!"

Lucy stumbled back a little. "Oh, sorry! I just thought.."

"No, no, no! That would be so weird. _So weird_," she finished. She finally cooled down. "And Gray has a girlfriend, surprisingly."

"Well, what is your boyfriend's name? Just so I don't make any more assumptions?"

Erza seemed to ponder it for a while.

"Jellal," She finally said.

"Jellal," Lucy repeated softly. What a cool name. It was different, in a good way.

Lucy noticed Erza take out an indigo pleated skirt and a white collar shirt with a blue ribbon. The cute outfit was a sharp contrast to her personality. Or maybe Lucy only knew a small part of Erza. 'Either way,' Lucy noted, 'The outfit's adorable. I'm definitely going to take her advice.'

Erza began to change right in front of Lucy, who was shocked at how quick she switched clothes. Almost like magic.

Erza ran her fingers through her long red hair and spun to face Lucy.

"How do I look?" she asked.

Lucy was a little surprised. "Amazing. But I never pictured you as the girly type."

"I'm not," Erza stated. "I just really like clothes," she then admitted.

"Well then, we have to go shopping sometime," Lucy smiled. "I'll see you later, then. Unless you're one of those roommates who's never around, then-"

"Do you want to come with us, Lucy?" Erza said her name for the first time. "You should make some friends."

Lucy was tempted, but then she remembered her suitcase which still needed unpacking. "Sorry, but I still have to unpack. Definitely next time, though."

"Okay. See you," and with that, Erza was out. Lucy watched her with a smile.

"Best roommate ever," she mused out loud. Then she got back to unpacking.

[LINE BREAK]

It had been two hours since Erza had left.

Lucy sat on her bed with her notebook. She was reading her past chapter, which she had to admit, was a little boring. Her closet was full and her suitcases were unpacked. Her desk was stocked with pencils and paper. She looked forward to the following year. But that's probably just the day before school feeling.

Suddenly, the door burst open. It was Erza, looking very pretty and very confused.

"YOUR BOYFRIEND IS NATSU?!" she exclaimed, loud enough for the entire dorm to hear.

[END]

**did you liiiiike it? It should get more interesting as you progress. hopefully. **


	2. First Date

_"YOUR BOYFRIEND IS NATSU?" she exclaimed loud enough for the whole dorm to hear._

[Back to the present]

Lucy sat up. "What?"

Erza breathed in. "I was telling my friends about my roommate, and Natsu suddenly says, 'Hey I know her! We go on dates all the time. She's like my girlfriend!'" Erza said as she dropped her voice into a Natsu impression.

Lucy giggled. "Yeah, so? I didn't know you were friends with Natsu."

"We've been friends since grade school," she said and shut the door behind her. "Tsk. That is so weird. I never thought that Natsu, of all people, would _ever_ have a girlfriend. He's undateable."

"What are you talking about? He's so sweet and innocent," Lucy defended.

"Innocent," Erza coughed and sat on her chair. "He probably doesn't even know what sex is."

"Better than those guys who want sex on the first date."

"That's true," Erza shrugged. "But…it's just so weird. What's he like on dates? What do you even do on dates?"

"We have fun," Lucy said. "For the past two years, he's been like my escape from my father. And I didn't go to regular high school, so I didn't have any real friends."

"But…what do you mean fun?"

"The park, the arcade, sometimes the movies. Once had a picnic on top of Cherry Hill."

Erza stared at her like she was an alien.

"So he never told you or Gray or anyone about me?" Lucy asked.

"He said he had a date one time," Erza remembered. "But we thought he was joking and we didn't care. And I hardly saw him last year. But everyone else was as surprised as me when he told us."

Suddenly, Gray walked in. This time, with jeans and a girl. He still had no shirt, but the jeans were an improvement. The girl, with blue hair and blue eyes and blue clothes, seemed to only look at Gray, like a fly to the light.

"Hey, Erza, Lucy," he said. "Uh, this is my girlfriend, Juvia." Juvia finally looked away from Gray and looked at Lucy.

"Hello, Lucy-san. Erza-san," she said with a quiet doll-like voice.

"Oh, hi, Juvia," Lucy smiled.

"So YOU'RE Natsu's girlfriend," Gray said to Lucy.

"Well, not _girlfriend_," Lucy said.

"Damn. How did Natsu get _you_?"

"Um, excuse me?" Lucy raised an eyebrow. She saw Juvia shoot Gray a look.

"I mean," he turned to talk to Erza. "She's, like, a freaking model, and he's...Natsu."

"Yes, I was rather shocked, too," Erza agreed.

"Juvia is sorry, but she has to agree, too," Juvia piped up. Lucy noticed the third-person speak. Different.

"Natsu's not that bad. You're all too hard on him," Lucy defended.

"So what's he like?" Gray asked and he and Juvia stepped forward.

"Is Natsu-san sweet?" Juvia asked.

"Does he actually say nice things?" Erza asked.

Lucy sighed. "Okay, if you're all dying to know." She thought for a while. "Oh, one time, I had a really hard day. My dad and I had a fight and there was yelling, and I was crying. So when Natsu texted me, I told him I didn't feel like texting, because I just had a fight and I was super upset. And later, I heard something hit my window and I looked outside, and Natsu was there, throwing rocks at my window." Lucy felt herself smiling. "So I climbed down and he took me to Sakura Park and we just lay there, watching the stars. And I started crying all over again, and he told me to stop crying, because it makes him sad to see me sad. And then he said that he'll be there for me and the stars will be there for _us_. It was so sweet."

She looked up to see their reactions.

Juvia had her hand on her heart and Erza and Gray were gaping.

"Was he drunk?" Erza asked.

"No!" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, that was pretty cool of Natsu, then," Gray shrugged. "...It's getting late. We're gonna go. Yo, Juvia, want to sleep over?" he asked as he left the room. Juvia blushed deeply and followed him. "B-But won't Loke-san mind?"

"Why? We're just sleeping, right?" Gray asked and shut the door.

Erza looked at Lucy.

"Gray and Natsu are like twins," Erza said. "Surprising enough that _he_ got a girlfriend."

"Yeah...Don't you have a date tonight?"

Erza's eyes widened.

"I completely forgot!"

She hurried around the room, pulling out clothes and make up. When she finished in one supernatural minute, she looked stunning in a dark blue dress dress that had a white corset with a flower and a strand of her hair was twisted back and fell down to brush her face.

"How do I look?"

"Stunning." Lucy smiled. "Now go have fun."

"Sorry if I come back really late. I'll try to be quiet," Erza said on her way out.

Once she was gone, Lucy smiled. But she was alone again. So far, Erza had proved herself as a roommate that's never around. But Lucy was fine with that. The best way to fix that is to make some friends. Lucy decided to do something, anything to make more friends, because right now, she only had four.

Suddenly she heard a text. She reached over and checked.

Natsu.

**[Hey Luce]**

She texted back, [Hey]

**[how was your first day as a freshman?]**

[Great. How was yours.]

**[awesome. all my hs friends r here]**

[Lucky]

**[you're lucky, lucky lucy]**

Lucy smiled. He called her that sometimes. Just like her mother.

[How am I lucky? I have no friends. other than u and Erza]

**[exactly. U have th best friends ever]**

[I know lol. thx]

**[wanna go out somewhere?]**

[sure where?]

[and DONT say Mira's]

**[don't say the library]**

[But I haven't been to the college library yet.]

**[theres a college library?]**

[duh. but you r a freshman, i dont blame you for not knowing.]

**[ok heres the deal]**

**[We go to the library to read or whatev, then Mira's for dinner]**

[Didn't you go to Mira's already today?]

**[that was for lunch. i havent had dinner yet and miras is way better than the caf]**

[ok meet you where?]

**[which dorm you at?]**

[Magnolia dorm]

**[i can be there in five]**

[you know I can walk. I can come to your place]

**[its ok. im already out.]**

[Don't text and walk!]

**[I have a skateboard lol]**

Lucy sighed. As her response, she didn't respond. She didn't want to find his corpse sending her a message. And Natsu was not the kind of person to wear a helmet. Not that he was a rebel or a badboy. He smiled a_lot_.

Lucy sat up and realized that she was still in her sweat pants. She found a pleated blue skirt and white short sleeve collar shirt with a dark blue full sleeve under to match her skirt. To finish it off, she tied a dark blue bow in her hair, just like Erza had done hours ago.

Once she did her hair and applied a quick swipe of lip gloss, there was a knock at her door.

She stepped over and opened the door.

And there he was, spiky pink hair and a bright smile. He had jeans and a Vermillion University tee. "Hey, Luce."

"Hey, Natsu," she smiled as brightly as she could. She was, genuinely, happy to see him. In a college full of strangers, he provided a comfort she only hope for.

"Ya ready?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yup. Let's go," she said and followed him out.

Once the door was shut, he offered her his elbow. She took it with a blush.

"Which dorm are you in anyway? Are you even living here?" she asked.

"I'm at the Crocus dorm. And your dorm is way better."

"Thanks," she looked at the chipped paint on the doors around her. "Who's your roommate?"

"Argh," Natsu looked up, the smile disappearing. "Don't even get me started on that guy."

"Oh no."

"He's a jerk!"

"I'm sorry."

"He's such an asshole!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Hey, quiet. People are sleeping," she hushed him.

"Oh come on, it's six."

"Yeah, I know," Lucy smiled again. "So tell me more about this roommate of yours."

"I hate him! He's worse than Gray! He's always bringing his friend in, he's arrogant."

"Does he make a mess?"

"Actually..." Natsu said sheepishly. "I kinda make the mess. And he's a freaking nitpick, so he's always getting at me to clean up. Who cares?!"

"Well, you _should_ keep clean. Messy roommates _can_ be annoying."

"Whose side are you on?" he asked her. "Anyway, let's not talk about him."

As they walked down the stairs, Lucy smiled to herself. Now she could be the roommate that was never around.

But then again, it was just the first day.

[LINE BREAK]

Lucy and Natsu had just spent an hour and a half at the library. Lucy found so many books she wanted to take with her, but she knew she would never get time to take them, so she wrote down their names for later. Natsu spent the whole time either reading comics or playing games on the computer. At some point Lucy decided to play games with Natsu. After a while, Natsu decided that he needed to eat. So they headed over to Mira's.

Natsu constantly raved about Mira's cooking. Lucy had never been to the restaurant Mirajane worked at, but apparently Natsu went there all the time. It was the hangout place for most of the students in Magnolia City. She didn't even own it, her parents did, but everyone knew Mira, so they just called it that.

And now Lucy was going there for the first time. With Natsu.

Even if it was just Mira's, _this time_ was special. Because it was Lucy and Natsu.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand as they rounded the corner. She felt a blush rising up her cheeks and she resisted the urge to pull her hand away. It was making her a little nervous, but she felt comforted at the same time.

"There," he pointed at the dimly lit restaurant with big windows. "There's Mira's."

He took a deep breath. "Mmm. She made pie for dessert."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Is this a date or do you just want to eat food?" she asked sarcastically.

"I want to eat food _and_ introduce you to my friends," he said, then added coyly, "I should tell all my fangirls to back off, 'cause I'm taken."

"Fangirls? You wish," Lucy snorted as he opened the door. She walked in and immediately heard noise.

Someone shouted, "Hey, Natsu!" and someone else yelled, "Who's the girl?" There was laughter and shouting. Lucy felt slightly overwhelmed, but then decided that she liked it. There weren't even that many people, but the crowd was pretty loud.

Lucy noticed Mirajane at the bar counter, smiling and talking to people. She had modeled before for certain brands, and Lucy recognized her face. Natsu took Lucy's hand and dragged her towards Mirajane.

"Hey, Mira," he exclaimed.

"Hey, Natsu," she smiled with a brightness that matched Natsu's smile. Then she turned to look at Lucy. "Hello."

"Hi," Lucy smiled, starstruck. "This is Lucy," Natsu said, and lifted Lucy's hand. "My girlfriend."

Mira's smile faltered and her eyes widened. "YOU have a girlfriend? How?"

"Because I'm sexy, that's why," Natsu grinned. Lucy hit his arm. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey, Mira, I need food," he said. "I'll have whatever. She'll also take whatever. Can we sit upstairs?"

"Go ahead," she said. "But there's already some people up there."

"It's fine. Thanks," he said.

With that, he turned and dragged Lucy to a stair case, which led to the second floor. As they went upstairs, Lucy noticed that the second floor was lined with a balcony that peered over the main floor. Classy, Lucy noted.

Once they were up, she noticed that it was clearly quieter, and a lot less people. She looked over to the side while Natsu led her to a table next to the balcony. There were only two other people. They were sitting at two separate tables, but still talking to each other. The blond one had his shoes on the table and he was leaning back in his chair. The depressed-looking one was sitting like any other person would sit. Then, she noticed that one-the blond one- had a Vermillion University hoodie. This _was_ the student hangout place, but she still felt surprised. Then she realized Mirajane herself probably goes to Vermillion.

"Luce?" Natsu said.

"Hm?" Lucy stopped thinking and turned her attention back to Natsu. When did they sit down?

"What you thinking about?"

"Eh, you know...stuff," Lucy shrugged it off. "So... I'm your girlfriend?"

"Uh, yeah," Natsu said. "I thought that was obvious."

"I don't know. We just never made it official."

"I guess so," he shrugged. "Can it be official now?"

"Of course," Lucy smiled. "Boyfriend. My boyfriend. I'm your girlfriend, you're my boyfriend."

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing... I've just...never had a boyfriend," Lucy said sheepishly.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she rolled her eyes. "I went to a private school, so I didn't have a lot of...social interaction."

"Wow. That sucks," said Natsu flatly.

"You don't even know. So...have you had a girlfriend?"

"Kind of," Natsu's eyes starting rolling away. "Not really."

He looked back at Lucy. "But she's not important, anymore."

"I'm sure," Lucy said sarcastically with a smile.

Suddenly, a young woman with short purple hair came by their table, balancing bowls and glasses on her forearms. She smiled and began to set the bowls down, then the glasses. "Today's special," she said, "Shio Ramen."

"Thanks, Kinana," Natsu smiled at her.

Kinana nodded, then noticed the unlit candle at their table. "Oh, wait." She pulled a matchbox out of her apron pocket, then lit the candle.

"There you go," she said with a wink. "A little romantic touch."

Lucy blushed and Kinana walked away. "What's with the candle?" Natsu asked, craning his neck. "I can't even see you anymore."

"It was nice of her," Lucy shrugged.

"Eh, whatever," Natsu said, leaning forward to blow it out.

They started eating their food, and Natsu said, "Isn't Mira the best?"

Lucy had to admit that Natsu was right. The food _was _amazing.

"Yo, Natsu!" a sudden shout was heard across the room. They both turned to look, and Lucy saw the blond guy who sat at his own table waving at them.

Then she noticed Natsu scowling. "Damnit, Sting's here."

"Who's Sting?" she asked as Sting got up to come to their table.

"My roommate," Natsu mumbled.

"Hey, Natsu," Sting said once he reached the table. "Here with your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, glaring him down. "You here with your boyfriend?"

Sting's smile changed to a scowl. "He's _not_ my boyfriend, ya asshole!"

"You wanna fight?"

"Let's fight!"

"Fine!" Natsu got up, clenching his fists.

"Hey!" Lucy stood up. "What are you doing?!"

"We're fighting, Luce, you might wanna back up!"

"Oh, no," Lucy said, stepping forward. "We are in a restaurant," she said, then turned to Natsu, "And _we_ are on a date. So no fighting."

"You've never been here before, have you, lady?" Sting asked with a smirk. "People fight here _all_ the time."

"Until Erza breaks them up, of course," Natsu admitted.

"Yeah," Sting agreed. "Before we do any real damage."

"Still," Lucy said. "This is a date," she turned to Sting. "So if you could...leave."

"I guess. I'm on my way out, anyway," he said nonchalantly. "Catch ya later, Natsu."

Natsu glared at him and sat down.

"Oh," Sting turned around to look at Lucy. "I didn't catch your name."

Lucy didn't feel the need to hate him as much as Natsu did; he seemed like an okay guy. So she told him.

"Lucy."

"Sting. See you later, then," he said with a wink. Lucy shifted uncomfortably as he walked away.

"I hate that guy," Natsu said again.

"He's okay..." Lucy shrugged, not even sure if she should remember him.

He wasn't important. Right?

But Lucy had a strange feeling.

[END]

**Hiii. Thanks for reading! you!**

**please R & R new chapter should be out soon.**


	3. Another Winter Day

**Hey I'm back with a new chapter. hope you like it.**

**[LINE BREAK]**

It had been three months since Natsu and Lucy became an 'official' couple. They would hold hands on their was to classes, study for tests together, and spend time in the library or at Mira's. Lucy had only been to Natsu's room one or two times, and even then, it was just to study or hep clean. After a while, Lucy realized that she was subconsciously avoiding Natsu's roommate. And Natsu was scared of Lucy's roommate, so they spent time in other places. The most intimate they would ever get would be a chaste kiss, or when they fell asleep on Lucy's bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

But today, on this cold, December day, Natsu and Lucy were enjoying the eve of their winter vacation by going to Mira's. The official name of Mira's restaurant was Fairy Tail, but everyone just called it Mira's.

It was quieter today, because no one wanted to get out in the snow. Since it was the last day of school, before vacation, a lot of the students were out drinking or partying, or both.

Natsu and Lucy sat down together at the counter, this time downstairs. They were drinking hot chocolate and talking.

"Where are you going for vacation?" Natsu asked.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I have to go back home, because my dad is having some of his business partners over and he he expects me to stay there."

"Too bad. Well, I'll be in the neighborhood," Ntasu said, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Great. Maybe I'll invite you over just to annoy my dad," Lucy said with a light laugh.

Suddenly, Mirajane came to their part of the counter. "Hey, there, you two, how goes it?"

"Cold," Natsu said, downing the rest of his drink. "I hate winter."

"Well," Mirajane's smile grew, "I have some good news that will brighten your day!"

"Yeah?" Lucy looked up.

"Lisanna, my sister," she added for Lucy, "got accepted to Vermillion! Yay!"

"Hey," Natsu looked up with a smile. "Really? That's awesome."

Lucy didn't know who Lisanna was, but she smiled anyway. She knew how good it felt to be accepted into college.

"Even better! She got an early acceptance, so she's starting in May!" Mira clapped her hands together ecstatically.

"That's great!" Natsu's smiled widened. "I haven't seen her in, like, a year!"

"We're having a party for her, so come tonight at 7! You, too, Lucy!" Mira smiled and left.

Lucy looked at Natsu. "So Mira has a sister?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, not meeting her eyes. "Lisanna is younger by two years. She has a brother, too, who's in our grade."

"A brother?"

"You know, Elfman, right?"

"Yes! He's in my English class."

"So," Natsu said, finally meeting her eyes, "Can we go to the party?"

"Sure," Lucy said slowly. She knew about Natsu and Lisanna's past (One of them had a crush on the other), and she didn't want to be the jealous girlfriend, but Natsu's joy at seeing Lisanna was making her a little nervous. "It's at Mirajane's house?"

"Yeah. Not too many people. Just friends."

"Oh. But I won't know anyone," Lucy said.

"Erza should be there," Natsu said back. "And Mira, and Elfman. And you'll like Lisanna. She's really nice."

"I'm sure she is," Lucy smiled dryly.

[LINE BREAK]

Lucy hurried into her room and shut the door.

"Erza, are you going to Lisanna's party?" she asked the girl sitting at her desk. Erza turned around in her chair with a book in her hand.

"Yes. Is Natsu going?" she asked flatly.

"Yes, and I was invited, too," Lucy said.

"Really?" Erza asked. "That's good, actually. Keep Lisanna and Natsu apart. Natsu can forget that he has a girlfriend."

That information made Lucy slightly uncomfortable. "Um...ok."

"Sorry," Erza closed her book and set it aside. "But I can't sugarcoat the truth." She walked over to her bed and sat down next to her purse, from which she pulled out a container with a strawberry shortcake in it.

She opened it, then found a fork another fork in her purse. She held it out to Lucy. "Hungry?"

Lucy sighed and sat down. "No thanks. I'll eat at the party." She looked at the clock. "...In three hours."

"I don't normally share my cake," Erza pulled out the fork and a paper plate. "But you look sad."

She put a slice of cake onto the other plate and gave it to Lucy. "Here."

Lucy took it gratefully. "Thanks."

"Do you know what you're going to wear?"

"No...Any ideas?"

Erza perked up, as if she was waiting for the question. Lucy smiled a little. She probably was waiting.

"Something in sky blue, it goes with your eyes. Are you going to wear a dress? You should wear a dress. And put a bow in your hair! A light blue one!"

"Okay, but I don't have a light blue dress," Lucy said, finishing up her cake.

Erza thought for a second. "You could try something in a dark red, or..."

"I think I'll go shopping for a good dress," Lucy got up, putting the plate aside. "Do you want to come?"

"No," Erza said, eating more cake. "I have to pack my stuff. I'm leaving for vacation."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll just ask Levy," Lucy picked up her purse, then smiled. "Unless she's out with Gajeel."

Erza smiled back, an un-Erza-like move. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Me neither. I'll see you later!" Lucy said and left.

[LINE BREAK]

Levy picked out a sky blue dress, on par with Erza's advice. "How about this one?"

"Oh, that's pretty," Lucy said and adjusted the stack of light blue dresses in her arms.

"Actually," Levy said, "I like this one better." She picked up a strapless sky blue dress that had a brown corset and a pleated light blue knee length skirt, with brown edges.

Lucy stared at the dress. "Yeah, that's my favorite, too. Let's go see if it fits." She put the dresses in her arms back and they went to the dressing rooms.

Levy waited outside with Lucy's things. Lucy stepped outside and twirled in her dress. The pleated dress billowed like an umbrella.

"Wow, Lucy!" Levy smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Levy," Lucy smiled back. "I'm going to change back so we can head out. What time is it?"

Levy glanced at her phone. "6:30. Hurry, we're going to be late!"

Lucy hurried back into her dressing room. Once she was finished changing, she hurried back out in her normal clothes. "Let's go, let's go!"

They paid for the dress and ran back to Lucy's dorm, where they changed into the dresses and did their hair and make up. Once they were finished (with ten minutes to spare), they went to Natsu's room.

Lucy had only been to Natsu's dorm a few times, and none more that five minutes. So now she was going there, without Natsu, and she was a little nervous.

"Have you been to his dorm before?" she asked Levy.

"No," Levy said as they walked. "I don't hang out with Natsu a lot. But I heard that him and his roommate fight a lot."

"It's true," Lucy rolled her eyes. "They even fought when me and Natsu were on a date."

Levy giggled. "You should have known what you were getting into."

They stopped at the door. Lucy took a deep breath and knocked. The door swung open immediately.

Sting was standing in the other side, leaning against the door frame. "What's up?" he nodded.

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Eh...He left a while ago," Sting shrugged, then smiled. "Wanna wait in here?"

"No," Lucy and Levy said at the same time. Then Lucy sighed and leaned against the wall. "Why wouldn't he be here? We agreed to meet at this time."

"If it helps, he was all dresses up when he left," Sting said and scratched the back of his head. "Said something about a bow tie.."

Before Lucy could say something, they heard someone run up behind them. "BACK OFF STING!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy turned around. Natsu hurried up behind them and stopped next to her. He had a black collar shirt and jeans, with a bow tie at the neck.

"Hey, Luce," he smiled and put his arm around her. "Hey, Levy," he added.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy smiled. "You look nice."

"Thanks, you too."

"All right, I'm done here," Sting said and turned to close the door.

"It's cold, let's hurry," Lucy said, linking one arm with Levy's and one with Natsu's.

They headed off to the party.

[LINE BREAK]

The Strauss household was a cozy-looking, two-story house with light shining through the windows and cars parked out front. It was about a five minute walk from Natsu's dorm building.

As they walked to the porch, Lucy could hear the sound in the house growing. Music, laughter. Natsu leaned forward and knocked loudly. The door opened and Mirajane was beaming at them.

"Hi, Natsu, Lucy, Levy! Come in, come in! It must be cold out!" She moved aside to let them in. They walked in a line, with Natsu in front. Once they were all in, Levy left to join her other friends. Mirajane went back to someone else. People were everywhere. Standing in circles, sitting on the couches.

Natsu and Lucy took each other's hands and started walking towards the group with Gray and Juvia.

Suddenly, a girl with short white hair, who looked like a younger Mirajane, burst through the crowd. People were congratulating her as she walked by. She thanked and acknowledged them, but she was headed towards Natsu.

"Natsu!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"Lisanna!" he grinned, letting go of Lucy's hand. Lucy, startled, reached back for Natsu's hand, but he was already waving at Lisanna.

In a second, she was over by Natsu and Lucy. Lisanna and Natsu embraced passionately.

Lucy stood there awkwardly. She didn't really know what to say or do, so she just watched them.

Natsu said into her hair, "I haven't seen you in so long!"

She said back into his shoulder, "An entire year!"

Lucy stared at them, and thought sullenly, '_This is going to be a long night._..'

**[LINE BREAK]**

**Yep yep Lisanna is in the picture now!**

**Will Natsu forget Lucy?**

**Will Lucy stand up and make a name for herself?**

**And what happened to Sting?**

**Dun dun dunnnn**

**R&R s'il-vous-plait**


	4. The One to Make Me Cry

** love you all so much! Thank you for reviewing, they inspire me to write more. That, and summer boredom. So, read on!**

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><p><em>Natsu said into her hair, "I haven't seen you in so long!"<em>

_She said back into his shoulder, "An entire year!"_

_Lucy stared at them, and thought sullenly, '_This is going to be a long night._..'_

They finally pulled away from each other.

"Oh, we'll be going to the same school, too!" Lisanna said ecstatically.

"I can't wait!" Natsu grinned again. Lucy subtly kicked Natsu's foot.

"Oh, right!" he said and pointed at Lucy. "Lucy, my girlfriend."

"Hi, Lisanna!" she smiled and stuck out her hand.

Lisanna shook Lucy's hand and smiled genuinely. "Hi, Lucy! So nice to meet you."

She looked back at Natsu. "Wow, Natsu. I never thought YOU of all people would be in a relationship. You've really grown up in this past year."

"Yeah," he shrugged modestly.

"So, have you said hi to everyone? And Gildarts said that he would come, too!"

"Really?" Natsu's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! And Romeo's here, too. Come say hi."

"Luce, you wanna come?" Natsu asked.

Lucy didn't really want to be in any more awkward situations, and she trusted Natsu. "I think 'll go talk to Gray and Juvia."

"See you later, then," he said and went with Lisanna.

She lightly waved to their departing figures.

She shouldn't worry about Natsu and Lisanna...right?

So Lucy made her way over to Gray and Juvia. "Gray, Juvia!" she said to greet them.

"Lucy-san!" Juvia beamed and hugged Lucy. "Hey, Luce," Gray nodded.

"So," she smiled. "How are you two?"

"Ya know, pretty good.," Gray shrugged.

"Isn't it so exciting that Lisanna-san is coming to Vermillion?" Juvia clapped her hands together.

"Yeah, definitely," Lucy forced a smile. She didn't really know Lisanna.

"Oh, right, you don't know her," Gray said.

"I just met her, like, a minute ago."

"That's okay. It's so sweet that Lucy-san came anyway," Juvia said.

Lucy smiled. Gray and Juvia kept talking, and they asked Lucy questions every so often. "

She found herself looking around. A lot of the people she had seen at Mira's were here. There were also some people who attended Vermillion, as well. Erza was with Levy, Jet, and Droy. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling, and a large sign that congratulated Lisanna.

"Have you eaten yet, Lucy-san?" Juvia asked suddenly.

Lucy thought for a second. "Actually...I haven't."

"There's a table over there," Gray pointed at a decorated table by the hallway. "I'm pretty sure Natsu hasn't eaten everything yet."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Gray," Lucy said and walked towards the table. She picked up a paper plate and began to observe the food. If Mirajane made it, it must be good.

But before she could take anything, she noticed something else. Natsu and Lisanna were in the hallway by themselves. At first, she assumed they were just talking. But there was something weird about them.

She stopped paying attention to everything else to focus on the two in the hallway.

Natsu and Lisanna were facing each other, each holding each other's hands. Lucy wasn't exactly comfortable with that. She gripped her plate tighter, staring at them. Natsu was definitely going to hear about this later.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The two stopped talking and just stared into each other's eyes. Then, in what seemed like an hour, they leaned towards each other and landed a perfect kiss.

Lucy felt the empty plate fall from her hands. She backed up, not thinking, and bumped into someone. That someone was holding a glass, which spilled the contents all over, which elicited a scream from the person. Lucy hurried away, not even bothering to apologize. She couldn't think. Because she just saw. Natsu. And. Lisanna. Kiss.

The image was stuck in her mind. She didn't want to go to Natsu. In fact, she didn't want to go to _anyone_. She just wanted to go _home_.

Without saying goodbye to anyone, and with the image still stuck in her head, she left the house, and sped walk back to the dorm. Tears were on the edges of her eyes, but she managed to hold them back. She didn't want people to see her in her moment of weakness. Especially since it was late.

As quickly as she could, she went to the dorm. She hurried up the stair, ignoring the people who were staring at her. She fumbled for her keys and opened the door, and as soon as it was shut, she felt the tears spill finally.

It was kind of a relief to cry. Despite the mascara stinging her eyes, she felt comforted knowing that she could let go.

After a while, she finally stopped crying and washed her makeup off. Then she curled up in her bed still in her dress.

Lucy didn't feel like getting up at all. She just thought about Natsu and Lisanna _kissing_. What had happened after she left? Did they keep kissing? Did they stop? Did Natsu pull away, or Lisanna? Why were they in the hallway in the first place?

Suddenly, she got a text.

**[Hey Luce, where are you? I can't find you anywhere]**

Natsu.

What a liar.

She began to cry again, with tears pouring from her eyes and sobs racking her body. She tossed the phone to the floor and pulled blankets up to her neck.

Lucy hadn't cried since that fight with her father.

She never thought that Natsu would be the one to make her cry.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I know. It's short.<strong>

**Fear not! There will be eventual NaLu!**

**eventually.**

**Love you all!**


	5. Hiding Behind A Mask

**Bonjour, mes amis! I love you all so much~~~ Thank you for reading**

**Ok enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Erza didn't come last night.<p>

Which was okay, because Lucy didn't want to talk to anyone.

When she got into a fight with her father, Lucy would talk to Natsu.

She scoffed ruefully. 'Can't talk to _him_,' she thought.

She had cried until she fell asleep. Now, it was morning. And she didn't want to get up at all.

But she managed. She got up, showered, changed. Even without Erza's fashion help, she managed. A black shirt tucked into a pleated plaid skirt with warm leggings. She put on some fur lined ankle boots and a coat.

Because now, she was going to face what she didn't want to: Natsu. She was going to talk to Natsu.

She tucked her phone into her coat pocket and tied a bow into her hair. She was going to work things out _today_.

So Lucy left the dorm and crossed the university to Natsu's dorm building. His building was smaller, and the door knobs were gray metal, instead of gold metal like Lucy's. She went up the stairs to the second floor and counted doors off until she got to the fifth one on the right. Natsu's.

And ever so hesitantly, she knocked.

But it wasn't Natsu. Sting opened the door and smiled. He was still in his night clothes, plaid pants and a white tee.

"Hey," he smiled.

She didn't smile back. She just tried to peer around him into the room. "Where's Natsu?"

"I dunno. He never got back last night," Sting shrugged. "You okay? You seem upset."

"I don't want to talk about it," she folded her arms, and didn't meet Sting's blue eyes.

They stood in silence for about ten seconds until Sting understood anyway.

"Ohhhhh," he realized. "You came back, but he didn't. Ugh. That doesn't sound good."

Lucy simply swallowed. Holding it in all night, someone talking about it was slightly a relief. Even if that person was Sting. And he was the only one talking.

"Do you know who it was?" he asked.

"One of his friends," she finally said quietly.

"That sucks," he agreed softly.

"It's not like they actually...you know," she said uneasily. "They just kissed. And I saw them."

"Did they know you saw?"

"No. And no one else saw, either," Lucy recalled the image.

Another silent moment.

"You know," Lucy finally said. "I'm sorry. I don't want to bother you."

"It's cool, I don't mind," Sting said quickly.

"Luce?" Lucy heard Natsu's voice behind her.

She froze and tried to turn around.

"Sorry to ditch you, but this isn't my problem," Sting whispered to Lucy, then turned to Natsu. "Hey, asshole," he said and slammed the door shut.

"Natsu," Lucy said quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Where were you?"

"Where were _you_?" Natsu asked. Lucy could feel his eyes burning holes into her. "You left, like, after ten minutes."

"I'm sorry," Lucy crossed her arms, then finally looked up defiantly. "You kind of left me for Lisanna, anyway. I didn't realize you were paying attention to me."

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows. "...What?"

Lucy simply looked away.

"Oh..." Natsu said quietly, slowly realizing why. "Lucy, I...I didn't know you were there."

"And if I wasn't there, you would have done that anyway?"

"No, I-I was in the moment!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I don't care!" Lucy exclaimed back. "You don't even...ugh!"

Suddenly, Sting opened his door and poked his head out. "Um, I can hear you guys right now. And I'm pretty sure the whole dorm can hear you, too." With that, he closed the door.

Natsu and Lucy simply stared at each other. Lucy could feel her face growing redder in anger, until she finally just turned and walked away.

She thought that she could deal with all this, but she couldn't. She didn't want to.

But the worst part was that Natsu didn't even come after her.

[LINE BREAK]

Lucy decided to take a walk. There was no chance of her going home until the second week of break, so she had time to waste.

The weather was warmer than yesterday, so she could walk comfortably. She didn't even bother listening to music, she just let her mind wander. She started thinking about her novel, and the new character she was planning to put in. He wasn't going to be a main character, but she wanted him to be amiable anyway.

Lucy kept walking until she heard shouts and laughter. She looked to the right, and noticed that she was walking by Mira's.

Should she go in?

With hope that Natsu was not inside, she walked in.

It was delightfully warm, compared to the outside, and the majority of the crowd were students.

Mirajane immediately waved to her from the bar.

Lucy smiled for the first time that day and walked over.

"Hi, Mira," she said.

"Lucy!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Where did you go last night? Natsu was looking everywhere for you!"

Lucy's smile turned into a sad one. "I'm sure he was."

Mira didn't seem to notice, as she kept talking. "You missed the cake, too! And we even had little speeches for Lisanna."

"That's nice," Lucy said. "I'm sorry I didn't get to congratulate Lisanna."

"It's okay," Mira brushed it off. "You don't really know her yet, do you? I'll introduce you, she's right over there."

Mira went around around the counter and led Lucy to a table near the center.

Lisanna was sitting across a tall man with brown hair and stubble. He had friendly eyes, but a powerful aura.

"Lisanna! Gildarts!" Mirajane interrupted their conversation. "Have you met Lucy?" she asked.

"Yes," Lisanna said, making room next to her for Lucy. "We met at the party. Come, sit."

Lucy sat down.

"Hi," the man across said and shook her hand. "I'm Gildarts."

"I'm Lucy," she smiled.

"We were just talking about school," Lisanna said. "Gildarts is a teacher."

"Really? Where do you teach?" Lucy asked.

"At the middle school around the corner," he said. "All the kids go there. How come I never saw you?"

"I was home schooled," Lucy said.

"Oh," Gildarts nodded. Then, he looked at Lisanna.

"So where's Natsu?" he asked. "I haven't seen him in a while?"

"Natsu," Lucy repeated accidentally.

"Yeah, Natsu. One of my favorite students. Not the smartest, though," Gildarts said, then to Lisanna, "So has he asked you out yet?"

"Gildarts!" Lisanna exclaimed. "Lucy is Natsu's girlfriend."

Gildarts looked at Lucy, who kept a neutral expression.

"Yeah, we've been going out for a couple of months," she explained.

"You don't say," Gidarts seemed amazed. "I never would have thought. He had a big crush on Lisanna before."

"Oh...um, ok," Lucy said. She didn't really know what to say.

"That was then, anyway," Lisanna brushed it off. "It just wasn't meant to be. But I've never seen Natsu this happy, so it's good that him and Lucy are going out."

"Thanks," Lucy smiled a little.

"Yeah, well," Gildarts started getting up. "I better go. But I'll see you later, Lisanna and Lucy."

"Bye, Gildarts," Lisanna smiled and Lucy waved. She couldn't help but think that her and Lisanna were actually very similar. They were both cheerful and happy, but Lucy could see a little sadness in the other girl's eyes. It was a mask, just like Lucy's. No wonder Natsu fell for both of them.

"How are you, Lucy?" Lisanna said.

Lucy found it a little difficult talking to the girl she had seen kiss her possibly ex-boyfriend, but she managed.

"I'm good," she smiled. "I'm sorry I left early, by the way, I was a little sick- But I'm better now!"

"It's all right," Lisanna said. "At least you're better now. It wasn't in the food, was it? Because Elfman cooked, and he's usually very good."

"It wasn't the food, don't worry," Lucy said.

She didn't know what to say after. The image just kept flashing through her mind. Natsu's tortured voice was still in her ears. She felt like there were still tears in her eyes. But she didn't know why this was bothering her so much. In TV shows, girls who were cheated on would be planning revenge or meeting their friends to have sleepovers. But Lucy wasn't like that. She wasn't the kind of person to seduce another guy just for revenge.

But was bothering Lucy was that she had to be nice to Lisanna, who was being _so_ nice to her.

Until Lisanna finally broke the silence.

She said quietly, in a lower tone, "I know you saw us kiss."

Lucy looked at her sharply. "W-what?"

"Don't lie," a sad look overtook Lisanna's face. "I saw you running away."

Lucy just looked away.

"We didn't do anything else, I swear. I don't know why, we just...got in the moment," Lisanna continued. "I know you can't forgive me, but at least understand. I didn't-"

"Don't blame him," Lucy blurted out. She then blushed, and added quietly, "Don't blame him."

"I won't blame him," Lisanna agreed. "But I can't blame myself either. It was us."

Lucy suddenly felt anger at hearing Lisanna say 'us.' Lisanna and Natsu. 'Us' used to mean Lucy and Natsu.

She shook her head and got up. "You two are really meant for each other, huh?"

"No, Lucy, wait-" Lisanna got up, too.

"No," Lucy said. "Natsu really likes you. He used to talk about you a lot, and now he seems to wants to stay with you, too. I don't want to get in your way."

Lucy started walking out. All she heard was Lisanna say sadly, "I'm so sorry."

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><p><strong>asdfghjkl<strong>

**I love Lisanna, so I'm trying not to make her the bad guy**

**yea ok thx for reading LUV YOU ALLLLLL**

**byeee**


	6. Finding Him

**Hiii! So...for all of you who want this to end in NaLu, then you are in luck, but for those of you who don't want NaLu, then...this is awkward. So just read it and hopefully you still like it :D Also, some GaLe for you**

**OH and one more thing! I want to make more of these Vermillion University fics, but I don't know who I should make my next one on? So I will set up a poll on my page. It would really help if you vote! Thank youuuu**

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><p>Lucy felt the anger welling up in her like a storm as she walked out of Mira's. This was like a problem she just didn't want to deal with, and she felt like she was running away. Everyone told her not to run away from her problems, but it's so much easier to do that.<p>

She rushed down the street, shoving her hands in her pockets. The wind was picking up, and bits of snow were beginning to fall. Lucy randomly thought about how Natsu didn't like the winter, but she quickly shook away the thought. 'No more Natsu,' she whispered under her breath. 'I'm running away from my problems.'

As she walked more, the snow and wind began to pick up, and sadly, her wool leggings weren't very warm. She turned the collar of her coat up and rubbed her hands together for warmth. If only she had a scarf. Natsu's scarf came up in her mind. And his warm presence.

"Lucy!" A seemingly distant voice called out. Lucy whipped around and saw an old black car. The windows were tinted gray, but inside, Levy had opened a window and was waving at her. Lucy could see Gajeel in the passenger seat.

"Levy," Lucy smiled with relief.

"Need a ride?"

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed and hurried into the back seat. "Levy, you are a lifesaver. Hi, Gajeel."

Gajeel simply nodded and Levy blushed. "Oh, it's nothing, Lu-chan!"

"Yes, it's something! I would have frozen to death," Lucy said, and savored the warmth of the car.

"Dude, you can't stop here!" Gajeel exclaimed exasperatedly. "What the hell? You're gonna wreck my car!"

"Oh, it's fine, Gajee! I only stopped for a second!"

"Well, quit talking, and start driving!"

"Don't tell me what to do! I can drive."

"Yeah, but this is _my_ car, and despite its bad-ass-ness, it can't survive _you_!"

"You have to-"

"Shit, there's an officer over there! Sit up so you look taller!"

They both immediately became quiet, and Levy began to drive more normally. Lucy couldn't help but smile a little. Gajeel and Levy were so cute. They were just like her and Natsu, but clearly they didn't have the same problems.

"So, Lu-chan," Levy started. "Why were you even out in the cold?"

"I was out for a walk. It was okay a half hour ago," Lucy explained.

"Ya didn't see the weather picking up?" Gajeel furrowed his peirced eyebrows.

"I was inside," she said. "At Mira's."

"Oh? You know, I lost you at the graduation party," Levy said, glancing at Lucy through the mirror.

"I left about ten minutes later," Lucy said quietly. She didn't feel like lying to Levy, nor did she want to talk about Natsu, so she offered no explanation.

But Levy was Lucy's best friend, and it wasn't hard to figure out what was going on.

"Something happened with Natsu," she said, like more of a statement.

"Um, yeah, kind of," Lucy said. Gajeel turned a little.

"What did that punk do? Should I beat him up for you?" he asked.

"If it really is that bad, I'm sure Gajeel could beat him up," Levy agreed.

"No," Lucy smiled a little. "I don't want you to do that."

"You're right, actually," Levy nodded. "That's no way to solve a problem. You should _talk_ to him."

"I tried, but...it didn't turn out that good."

"Well, try again! If you two are really meant to be, then you can work it out," Levy said. "But it's not going to come immediately. You have to try in a relationship."

Lucy listened intently. This was the best advice she had ever gotten.

Then Levy added, "You _both_ have to try."

Lucy frowned. "But he hasn't attempted to talk to me yet."

Levy winced a little. "But he's Natsu. He's a little dense."

"Hella dense," Gajeel interrupted.

"Like you're any better," Levy scoffed, then kept talking. "Anyway, Natsu needs a little push. Soon he'll come around."

"R-really?" Lucy asked.

"Yes! So go again, talk to him," Levy said.

"Should I call him?" Lucy asked warily.

"No, talk to him," Levy pressed. "I can even drop you off at his dorm."

"Yo, drop me off, too," Gajeel said. "We're at the same dorm."

Lucy could see Levy rolling her eyes in the mirror.

"Okay," Lucy agreed slowly. "You can drop me off there."

"Yay! Go, Lu-chan!" Levy smiled.

"So what are you doing after this?" Gajeel asked Levy.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go to the library," Levy shrugged. "Or shopping."

"Yeah, okay, drop me off then," he said flatly.

"What? Do you want to hang out?" Levy asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Gajeel shrugged. "I'm just bored with this whole winter break thing."

"It is boring."

"Let's go to the skate park," Gajeel suggested.

"It's snowing."

"Ugh. Fine. Let's go-"

"Wait, we're here," Levy interrupted. "Here's your stop, Lu-chan."

"Thank you, Levy-chan," Lucy said. "You're awesome."

"No problem!" Levy said. "Oh, wait, let Gajeel walk you in."

"What?" Gajeel groaned.

"Be a gentleman! Go walk her in!" Levy ordered.

Lucy smiled inwardly and stepped out of the car. She loved how Gajeel would do anything for Levy, despite his cold demeanor.

Gajeel jumped out of the car and began walking towards the dorm. Lucy struggled to keep up with him.

"Thank you for walking me in, Gajeel," she said gratefully as they walked through the doors to the lobby. It was warm inside and students were enjoying hot chocolate and coffee.

"Yeah, no problem, bunny girl," he shrugged. He had called her that ever since she dressed up in a bunny outfit during a moment of weakness.

Lucy kept walking towards Natsu's dorm room. Once they reached the stairs, Lucy turned to Gajeel.

"You can leave now, you know," she said with a small smile.

"Okay, I'm out," he said and turned away. "Oh, and if Natsu's still an asshole, then I can beat 'im up for you."

"Um, thank you," she said, unsure. "Bye."

He just walked away. Lucy smiled more, realizing how much more energy she now had. And she climbed up the stairs to the second floor.

The hall was emptier today because of winter break. Most of the students who stayed were in their dorms, hiding from the snow.

Lucy couldn't believe what a change of pace she had gone through. One moment she was walking sadly to Natsu's room to face him, and now she was going again with a new energy. All in one day. Of course it was Levy and Gajeel who cheered her up. Levy, her best friend, could cheer anyone up.

_Her friend._ Natsu was Lucy's friend.

He was like her hero when her father was being unreasonable. He was like a knight in shining armor.

And Lucy knew that, even if they weren't a couple, she didn't want to lose him.

With that thought, she knocked on Natsu's door.

Of course, it was Sting who opened the door.

She sighed. "Why is it always _you_ at the door?"

Sting smirked. "You came back?"

"Natsu is my friend," Lucy explained. "I don't want to lose a friend to something a small as a relationship."

"Pfft," he scoffed. "That's bull. You should find him, knock the daylights out of 'im, then walk away with no explanation."

"I'm not doing that!" Lucy exclaimed, but found his 'solution' to be amusing.

"Eh, have it your way," he shrugged absently. "Ya wanna wait inside?"

"Um, no thanks," Lucy shook her head. "I just want to know where he is."

"I dunno. I can text him if you want," he said and pulled out his phone. Then he moved from the doorway. "You sure? I don't want you to get cold."

Lucy sighed. She considered it, then finally accepted. If he tried to take advantage of her, she knew some self-defense.

She walked in and let Sting close the door. It was a little strange, she had to admit, being in Natsu's room and being with Sting. But she decided to anyway.

Natsu and Sting's room looked a lot like her own. It had two twin beds, each pushed against opposite walls, two desks, next to the beds by the window, and two closets. Lucy could easily tell which was Natsu's side: it was messy, with clothes scattered all over, and the desk was like havoc, but there were pictures of Natsu and Lucy all over. It was sweet of him, at least. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if he would take them down once they broke up.

Sting's side was a little neater. The bed was unmade, but there were no clothes scattered around and the desk was much neater. He had one picture only, and it was him and Rogue when they were children. Lucy did think that was cute.

"So...uh...you can sit down. Sorry 'bout the mess," he said.

"It's okay," she said, sitting on Natsu's bed.

Sting began to write a text to Natsu.

"You know, I can ask him," Lucy said, taking out her phone.

"Nah," he said without looking up. "That jerk might lie. He's honest to me."

"I-I don't think he would've lied to me," Lucy turned red.

Sting simply shrugged and kept texting. "Where...are...you...asshole?"

Once he was done, he put his phone next to him on his bed, then looked up at Lucy.

"Are you sure you're gonna forgive 'im?" he asked.

Lucy fought to make eye contact. "I...I think I have to. I mean, we're practically family."

"Isn't that kind of weird to date your family member?"

Lucy half-smiled and looked down. "He's not family-family, just _like_ family. My father's kind of a workaholic and he can be inconsiderate, so my friends are the only true family I have. And Natsu is my closest friend. I don't think you would understand."

"Actually..."

"What?"

"I kinda do get you," he said, looking away. "I grew up in a foster home, and no one really wants to adopt a ten year old kid. So, you know, Rogue was my only friend. My family."

"Really?" Lucy said quietly. "Is that why you get so mad when Natsu calls him your boyfriend?"

"Well, everything Natsu says pisses me off," Sting gave her a small smile. "But seriously, he's like my brother. I actually got adopted one time. But it was some lady who needed government money and was adopting kids left and right. So I got sent back a month later. And sure enough, Rogue was still there. 'Cause, you know, no one wants an angry kid with red eyes. And I guess no one wanted me either. So yeah, we've been friends ever since."

"Oh," Lucy said. She didn't exactly know what to say. Sting had just confessed something deep to her and she didn't have much to say back.

But thankfully, Happy- Natsu's cat- hopped up the bed and climbed onto Lucy's lap.

She smiled. "Hey there, Happy."

Happy purred in response.

"Are cats even allowed in this dorm?" Lucy asked Sting. The question had never crossed her mind until now.

"No," he said. "But me and Natsu hid them really well."

"_Them_? There's more cats?"

"Yeah," he smiled and looked near his pillow. "Lector!"

A little maroon cat crawled out. It was small and energetic looking, and it bounced onto Sting's lap.

"Say hi to Lucy, Lector," Sting said, waving the cat's little paw.

Lucy giggled. "Hi, Lector. Do him and Happy ever fight?"

"Nah, they're okay. But-"

Sting's phone beeped suddenly. He picked it up and glanced at it. Lucy noticed the cheerful expression leave his face.

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said slowly. "It's just one of my friends."

"Not Natsu?"

"No."

Lucy squinted at him. He was hiding something, obviously.

"You're a bad liar, Sting," she said. "What did he say?"

He looked away nervously. He always seemed so confident, so this was very different.

"What?" She stood up. Happy bounced off her.

Sting relented and handed her the phone, without looking at her. She took it anxiously, but quickly. What did it say? What was so bad that even Sting wouldn't tell her?

She read, **[w/ lisanna at th park. y?]**

Lucy stared at it. Really? Did Natsu really leave Lucy to go with Lisanna? Was he _that_ idiotic? She wanted to shake her head and sigh with exasperation at his foolishness, but she couldn't. It was just harsh irony. Natsu had always been so nice to her. They had a special bond that was different. They had reached a level of comfort, and she had no idea that he had the same with Lisanna. Or did he? Was he _really_ just caught up in the moment like he had said?

"Are you gonna break up with him?" Sting said suddenly.

Lucy thought for a second. Would she...?

"Maybe," she said softly. She slowly handed Sting the phone. She didn't feel like crying anymore.

Sting took it and tossed it aside.

"Y-You know, maybe he's just talking to Lisanna or something," Sting said.

"You don't have to say that. It's-I'm done," Lucy said. "I have to break up with him. I thought all this time that he only loved me, but...I guess not."

"I don't know why he did that," Sting said.

"He must really love Lisanna."

"His loss."

Lucy looked at Sting. "Really?"

"Yeah," he glanced away. "I mean...you're beautiful."

Lucy stared at Sting, who was looking away. She didn't know what to say. She's heard it before from many people, but only few could sound as genuine.

"Thank you," she said softly, "Sting."

Then Lucy headed to the door. She had to leave now.

Sting didn't follow her.

* * *

><p><strong>asdfghjkl<strong>

**sorry so late. i've been super busy. but here!**

**also vote on the poll.**

**thank you luv you**


	7. At The Park

**Um...I've been really busy...sorry...really sorry.**

**So I don't know if the poll even worked, because I can't find it. So just comment your vote kay? the ones i feel like writing are: Gajeel, Juvia, Cana, Lisanna.**

**Vote Please!**

**So were you wondering WHY Natsu and Lisanna were at the park? Well here it is. The story**

* * *

><p>After Lucy left, Natsu decided to go to Mira's.<p>

But then he didn't.

He had no idea what was going on. He hadn't even wanted to kiss Lisanna, he just did. But what was worse was that Lucy had seen.

He didn't chase Lucy because he didn't know what he would say. He didn't even know if he was at fault. Natsu hadn't seen Lisanna in so long. And he had never known how to deal with emotions. Lucy would understand if she was in his place...Would she?

He walked against the wind, pulling his scarf over his face. He strolled by his old school. The schoolyard looked smaller than ever, even though it was where he grew up. He could see him and Lisanna playing house under the slide structure, or himself and Gray fighting over the last swing. His school, his friends, had become his family.

Suddenly, Natsu noticed the swing moving against the white wind. He squinted to look.

Her hair blended with the snow, but her sad eyes shone brightly.

"Lisanna?" he said aloud.

She turned to look at him.

"Natsu," her voice travelled with the wind.

He ran over to her and sat on the other swing. He could feel her watching him.

"Um, so," he started, "Lucy's mad at me...and...I don't know what to do."

Lisanna sighed and looked down. "Natsu, we both know why she's mad."

Natsu looked down, too. "Yeah..."

Natsu's swing eventually stopped moving and the wind died down.

They sat in a comfortable silence, wondering about what they should do. Lisanna and Natsu had always been friends, and the always had a perfect relationship. But since the party, Natsu was starting to worry. Would the friendship last?

"You should apologize," Lisanna said quietly.

Natsu looked at her. "To Lucy?"

"Of course," she said. "You really seem to love her. And she...really loves you, too. This whole thing, it was my fault. So just-"

"Your fault? This wasn't your fault. This is...our fault. It's my fault, too. And I don't know if Luce even likes me anymore. She's probably really mad at me."

"Even so, relationships need some work," Lisanna said, a little louder now. "You have to apologize, and if she forgives you, then I guess it was meant to be."

Natsu nodded, listening intently. Lisanna gave good advice.

"I'll go apologize then," he said. "Tomorrow."

"Good luck," she said genuinely.

Suddenly, Natsu's phone beeped. He took it out of his pocket, frowned, then typed in a reply. He put it back and said to Lisanna, "Just my roommate."

"Oh."

"Are you going to room at the dorms for the campus tour thing?"

"No, my house is really close."

"Oh. And you're gonna work at your family's restaurant?"

"Part-time. Mira's going to take over, you know."

"Wow. Elfman's gonna work, too?"

"Yep. All of us."

"You're really on top of things, huh?"

Lisanna smiled. "I guess so."

"I'm actually working today, too," she said. "But this is my lunch break."

"Oh," Natsu. "Well, don't waste it here. Wanna get something to eat?"

"Thank you, Natsu, but...no," Lisanna said. "You should ask Lucy."

"Ok," Natsu said. "See you later, then?"

"Um, yeah," Lisanna said, getting up. "Give Lucy my regards."

"Sure."

Lisanna glanced back before she left. "Bye, Natsu."

"Bye," he said, but his voice didn't seem to reach her.

Natsu realized then, how was he going to apologize to Lucy?

* * *

><p><strong>How, indeed?\<strong>

**This was a short one, I know.**

**so, I'm not really going to make more stories of this. If I do, it will have a different storyline**

**And, um, you're probably going to hate me by the end of this story. Don't worry, I'm probably going to hate me too.**

**:) Love you all!**


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